My Other Half
by StormWolf91
Summary: On opening night, The Black Swan takes center stage.


MY OTHER HALF 6/2/2011

Nina Sayers looked down in horror.

Lily's body was surrounded by broken glass, with her head cocked to the left and her glazed eyes staring off in the same direction. A thin stream of blood dripped from the corner of her mouth.

All of the stress, the problems, the accusations, the insults, and the paranoia –driven convictions just caused Nina to snap. Lily just happened to show up after her breakdown tonight, arrogantly suggesting, no, _stating_ that she would dance The Black Swan for Nina.

That did it.

Nina lunged forward and shoved the would-be alternate into one of the mirrors. Broken glass rained down, and as Lily tried to strangle her rival, Nina stabbed her in the stomach with a large shard of glass. A look of fear and surprise dawned on Lily's features as she sank to the ground. Glaring down at Lily as she lay dying on the dressing room floor, Nina snarled, "It's my turn" over and over like a mantra.

No one else listened, but she knew.

She always knew Lily wanted her role as The Swan Queen, and she knew that Lily wanted to sabotage her chances. Barging in unannounced during rehearsals, secreting asking Thomas to go easier on her, slipping ecstasy in her drink at the bar the other night, messing with her head to throw her performance off, all of it.

And now she was dead. Nina wouldn't have to worry about her heckling attitude for the rest of the night.

Until someone found Lily's body in her dressing room and she was arrested.

She killed Lily, but for what? Fear, jealousy, paranoia, those emotions were justified considering the circumstances, right? Despite what others kept telling her, Nina knew what Lily wanted. But she couldn't have it. Not now.

Numbly aware that she had just committed murder, Nina began to get ready for the next act.

_"Let me out, Nina."_

Nina looked for the source of the voice coming from near the other, unbroken mirror.

The reflection was hers, but this Nina was dressed in black feathers and netting, with a silver crown on her head and a pair of blazing red eyes staring at the frightened young woman before her.

_"It's my turn, after all"._

Nina's eyes grew wide; she took a step forward, and the doppelganger in the mirror followed the gesture. It was slightly different, though; it was looser, more fluid.

"What's happened to me?" she murmured. "Nothing, you're just getting into character", the Black Swan answered calmly. "No, I don't want to end up like this. I'm not like you", Nina whispered defiantly.

The Black Swan's eyes narrowed, which made her red eyes all the more menacing. "Wrong. You have to be. You know we're one and the same. You're just afraid to acknowledge me because of what I can do for you. Ever since you were cast as The Swan Queen, I kept trying to contact you so you could work with me. Considering how everyone else treated you, you had nowhere else to turn but within".

Nina understood that her hallucinations and paranoia worsened with stress, and every insane, terrible thing (real or not) happening right after the other just made her crack under the strain. But it was only now she realized that her repressed side had acted upon these hallucinations in a demand to make itself known.

"Black Swan in five", a stagehand called from outside.

"Come now, you don't want to keep the audience waiting", The Black Swan purred. Nina nodded slowly. It was opening night, and she was the star. Nothing stood in her way now, so why hold back?

And so she obliged. Within a few minutes, Nina stood in the mirror, clad in a black feathered tutu, netting, and a knotted, silver crown on her head.

"Much better. _Perfect_, actually", The Black Swan grinned with approval, even with an icy stare above her smile. Nina felt the same expression on her own face, but it was all right. She was no longer the naïve, timid, fragile, soft spoken girl people insulted and took advantage of. She embraced her dark half, and didn't want to let go.

"It's time to take center stage".

Nina heard the cheering audience before she reached the stage, but the crowd grew silent as the orchestra began playing. It was a riveting tune, each note flowing into a sharp melody.

She immersed herself in the essence of the story, the music, and the dance. She didn't picture it as a performance, but as if she was living the story of Swan Lake.

The Black Swan took control and Nina gave into her passion. While she danced as the persona she desperately wanted to embody, her every move became graceful, elegant, hypnotic, effortless… perfect.

AUTHOR'S COMMENTS:

I loved "Black Swan", and so I thought I'd try my hand at writing a short fanfic :D

This didn't take long to write, either; only a day or maybe two for the fine tuning.

The Black Swan is an aggressive, yet sensual character, so I could picture her acting toward Nina this way as well, in addition to a fierce, confrontational demeanor. She acts as Nina's repressed side, so it makes sense to me. 

Black Swan and its characters © Darren Aronofsky  
>Swan Lake (original ballet) © Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky<p> 


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